In Memoriam: Killing Off Death By Roo Roo
Death by Roo Roo is one of the UCBTâs most influential teams. For almost 10 years they have performed Saturday Nights to sold out crowds. Throughout their run, the cast has included Brett Gelman, John Gemberling, Curtis Gwinn, Joanna Bradley, Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Jackie Clarke, Gil Ozeri, Liz Cackowski, Adam Pally, Mike Still, John Murray, Gavin Speiller and Joel Weidl.
But all great things must come to an end.Â
On Saturday, December 13th, theyâll have their final two shows. We talked with 3 of Roo Rooâs members who could be bothered to respond to our email about some of their favorite memories of âthe greatest motherfucking improv team in the motherfucking universe.â
Whatâs your favorite monoscene location youâve ever had?
Gil Ozeri: A hotel inn - I donât remember anything more about it. Iâm so sorry.
Mike Still: An Old West Saloon, filled with Civil War deserters, corrupt local politicians, and the most winsome lady in all the land, Faggy Mae (Gavin Speiller) / The Middle School Sleepover monoscene
Joel Weidl: Atamanuik, Chad and I played âthe council of 3â, a world-controlling illuminati type organization. Â We were in a chamber that was just full of candelabras and stuffed exotic animals. Another that comes to mind is an airplane being hijacked by an artificial intelligence.
 How fucked up was the most fucked up family?
Gil Ozeri: We once interview someone whoâs family member got sliced in half with a sword. We also interviewed someone who dated Mark David Chapman weeks before he killed John Lennon.
Joel Weidl: The one that pops into mind was a woman whose parents abandoned her so she lived in a âfish campâ while she was in high school. My understanding is that a fish camp is a permanently docked boat with a hole in the middle of it so you can fish from inside.
Mike Still: This isnât an example from an interview, but there was a family-owned diner in a show where Atamanuik described a wall as having an excessively racist muralâ I remember having a moment of âARE WE MAKING THE WORLD WORSE???â
Can you share a favorite move or character by each/any of your teammates?
Joel Weidl: There was a show where we were all switching characters because a psychic alien could trade consciousness with someone by looking at them. At one point all the characters ended up going into Joanna Bradley and she cycled through all 6 or so characters before the blackout. Badass. Also literally anytime Gavin starts miming eating a hoagie.
Gil Ozeri: Here are a few:
âAnthony - he repeatedly played a nazi / nazi sympathizer and it was my favorite thing ever. Tony is the sweetest person, but he goes places everyone is scared to go. I love that.
âGemberling - When Gembo played a pervert in a sex group therapy session. He played a distinguished guy who was having sex with his parrot. It was so so funny and so surprising. Gembo is just always hilarious. Heâs also relentless in calling you out on the dumb shit that comes out of your mouth. Which is often.
âCurtis - Curtis always felt, to me, like the hilarious, but calm leader, the wrangler. He could always find the balance and harmony in any monoscene - especially shows that were going off the rails or started off as a mess. I trusted Curtis to pull stuff together. If he was on the back line, I was just relaxed.
âNeil - every character Neil ever plays is amazing. So real, so grounded, so funny, so good. His headstone should read âI Commitedâ - he makes every character believable.
âGavin - In the same sex therapy monoscene that Gembo played the parrot fucker, Gav was a newcomer to the group. Gav waited the whole show to reveal his perversion. He kept hyping it up as being âmuch worseâ than everyone elseâs. In the end, it wasnât weird at all, just super real and fucked up. He was a pedophile. It got the biggest laugh of the show.
âGelman â He is a wild card in the best way. Just so funny. So unexpected. Also, so committed. We were once doing a show set in the Star Trek universe, and only Neil and Tony had the references down. Gelman played a character named Snarf - which I believe is from The Thundercats. He was so committed though, it didnât matter. It was hilarious.
âJackie - Just pure funny. Love when she abuses me and rips on me while weâre on stage. Jackie was also my favorite interviewer. She had the best social skills too, because every other person on Roo Roo was just a dumb, awkward guy.
âPally - He had a large head in every scene.
Mike Still: (These are Roo Roo NY memoriesâ much love to the LA CREW.)
âGavin as a handsome cab driver, pointing out John Lennonâs apartment to Mark David Chapman.
âPally and Gemberlingâs Rape Crisis Center scene (there is a video of this somewhere).
âAnytime Gil became a character that walks like a dinosaur with a large ass.
âBefore I was on the team, I remember watching Neil play a two-prov with Gavin where he was a Senator and Gavin was a prostitute that blew my improv student mind.
âMy Harold Team (Bangs? Badman?) went up against Gwinn and Atamanuikâs famed 9-11 monoscene. I havenât heard an UCB audience react like that since.
âMurray coming over the wall.
âBrett Gelman naming his police character âOfficer Cop.â
âThe interview Jackie did when I had just gotten on a Harold team and came to Roo Roo as my first free show as a UCB performer.
âMore 9-11: There was a childrenâs chorus singing at a 9-11 memorial, and Atamanuik played every child, singing âLet the Eagles Soar.â It was a brief moment that didnât hit hard with the audience, but I still think about it⌠every single day.
What is a move that Gemberling has made that made you equally furious and happy?
Joel Weidl: I was in the audience for one before I got added where Gemberling was playing a country bumpkin getting the concept of a rimjob explained to him. His response was âyou think rimminâ is just for the city?!â
Mike Still: Every move. When I was a student, I remember watching a cagematch where Gemberling was a dog. Silence for a moment. Then a fart. A Real Fart. Gemberling is probably God come to Earth to fuck with us mere mortals, right?
Gil Ozeri: Farting live on stage, farting backstage, farting in the green room.
 What do you want to happen to the Roo Roo team photo that hasnât been updated inâŚ?
Joel Weidl: Iâd like my face to be photoshopped into a tiny corner of it before it is burned in a pagan ritual led by Atamanuik.
Mike Still: Tattooed on the back of a child who is born on December 13th, 2014.
Gil Ozeri: Keep it on the wall forever.
For many years, Roo Roo made a trip to the DSI Comedy Festival. Road Trip Memories?
Mike Still: Hanging out with Emo Phillips. Doing a show for the UNC Chapel Hill Improv team CHiPs at their campus, playing a General getting furious at his sonâs friend Jason. Big party in the lobby. Gemberling calling my shoes, âAnne Frankâ shoes.
 Why do you hate Florida? (recent crew?)
Joel Weidl: Itâs the worst state in the union, and the people who are from there have such awful trouble being honest. Why is that? No clue.
Gil Ozeri: Iâm in the minority here. I think Florida is the coolest place in the world.
 Dan Black? What is his deal?
Joel Weidl: I think Dan is an angel boy sent from heaven.
Mike Still: He always wants dinner way too late in the night. Itâs 11:45, everything is closed in LA, man.
Gil Ozeri: He calms down by chewing on dog bones.
 Anything else youâd like to say about the greatest mother-fucking improv team in the mother-fucking universe?
Joel Weidl: The thing that sets it apart for me is that there is a healthy but very real sense of competition on the team. We all play with wild abandon - chasing the funniest move like heroin addicts, seeing who gets to it first, trying to make each other break. Rather than saying âIâve got your backâ before a show we all say âwatch your back,â and mean it. Itâs an attitude that works for us because weâre all very skilled improvisers. I would never recommend that type of play to just anybody.
Death By Roo Rooâs final shows are Saturday, December 13th at 9pm & 10:30pm. There will be a stand-by line.
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